Bixente Lizarazu (left), Frank Leboeuf (centre) and captain Marcel Desailly of France's team warm up during their afternoon training session at France's training camp in yesterday. - ReutersYOKOHAMA, Japan (AP):
ON THE eve of France opening their defence of the World Cup, coach Roger Lemerre saw one gain from the injury keeping 1998 hero Zinedine Zidane out of action.
When France meet Senegal in Seoul this morning, "the 11 players will be more concentrated. The concentration will be multiplied by 11," Lemerre said. "What you lose in some ways you gain in others."
Zidane scored two goals in France's 3-0 victory over Brazil in the championship game four years ago, and Lemerre acknowledged that without him, "the team is some times in difficulty".
Senegal defender Aliou Cisse was not convinced.
"There is no difference in France with Zidane or without Zidane," he said. "France is still a very good team. We are sorry for Zidane's injury and we hope for his quick recovery."
Zidane missed two early games because of a suspension in France's successful 1998 campaign. This time, he tore a thigh muscle in a warmup match on Sunday. The French team doctor said he could miss all three first-round games in Group A, against Senegal, Uruguay and Denmark.
Tomorrow, the second day of competition, three-time champions Germany meet Saudi Arabia, Ireland play Cameroon and Uruguay take on Denmark.
Other teams had more time to worry about strategy, psychology and fitness.
"Everyone is afraid of us, but they are right to fear us. They will see on the pitch," said Can Cobanoglu, manager of Turkey's team, who open on Monday against four-time champions Brazil.
His evidence: An adviser to Brazil's coach was found observing a Turkish training session yesterday, describing himself as a journalist.
For Russia, there were political opponents as well as the ones on the field. At the hotel that will house the team next week, the leader of a Japanese right-wing group was charged with trespassing and demanding that the management turn the Russians away, a police spokesman said yesterday.
The group, demanding the return of Russian-held islands north of Japan, has threatened to carry on protests outside the hotel during the team's stay.
In competition, Russia are in the same first-round group with Japan, Belgium and Tunisia.
Meanwhile, Japan have sent FIFA a letter warning that delays in delivery of tickets from Britain had "reached a critical level", and might lead to confusion at stadiums on match days.
One delayed shipment, of about 150,000 tickets, arrived earlier this week, but Japan still is awaiting about 3,000 tickets for wheelchair seats.
South Korean organisers said they also would have to distribute some tickets to spectators at the stadium on match days, but didn't expect any problems with that.
To aid in a campaign to reduce traffic congestion for the World Cup opening ceremonies, FIFA president Sepp Blatter planned to take the subway. Police already are enforcing restrictions banning half the South Korean capital's drivers from the road on any given day, depending on whether their license numbers are odd or even.
For Germany, team chief Rudi Voeller sees the opener against Saudi Arabia as the most difficult first-round match "because we go in as favourites".
He is hoping for a strong start, like that in 1990 when Germany trounced Yugoslavia 4-1 in the opener and went on to win the latest of its three World Cups.
"I was impressed by Saudi Arabia," he said. "They are perfect on the ball. We have some physical advantage in the air, but we can't rely only on this."
For Uruguay, the opener against Denmark is a chance to atone for a World Cup embarrassment in 1986, when the Danes drubbed them 6-1.
Coach Victor Pua that in its first finals appearance in 12 years, his team is "ready physically and technically", and striving for a tough defense that will not let the Danes leave their own half of the field.
The Danes, who advanced to the quarter-finals in 1998, will challenge that defence with a strong forward quartet including Ebbe Sand, whose nine goals made him the second highest scorer in European qualifying.
Ireland have been working toward their opener amid the distractions of star Roy Keane's ouster from the team after a foul-mouthed tirade against coach Mick McCarthy over training facilities and coaching tactics.
Despite that, McCarthy said he was pleased with the players' progress.
"I think they've been superb, the training has been sharp," McCarthy said.
Cameroon, the Olympic and African Cup champions, may be Ireland's toughest opponent in Group E.
"They're physically strong," McCarthy said. "They have good individual players. And they're a unit. They work very, very hard for one another."
